Chapter 4 #2
Without a word, Logan turned and walked out of the kitchen. When he was out of earshot, Porter took a step closer, but he didn’t touch her again. Riley didn’t feel crowded in the least.
“Thanks for coming over. I appreciate it. I think having someone else here as an icebreaker is good. Makes things easier.”
For who? Riley thought, but nodded instead of voicing her question, deciding it didn’t matter. Seeing Porter vulnerable was interesting. Intimate.
“I know you heard Miles,” she said instead.
Porter’s brow furrowed. “Who?”
“My boyfriend…well, my ex-boyfriend. The walls in our apartments are thin, and I know he was loud whenever he was yelling at me.” Riley wasn’t sure why she was bringing this up, except she didn’t want Porter to think badly of her.
To think she was a pushover. “He wasn’t always like that.
At first he was super nice and helpful. But when I told him that he couldn’t hang around my place every day because I had to work, he started getting resentful.
And jealous, I guess. He assumed I must be cheating on him. But I really did need to work.”
“You don’t have to tell me this,” Porter told her when she took a breath.
“I just… You had to hear everything. And I know it took me too long to kick him to the curb, but I kept hoping that things would change. That he’d trust me when I said I wasn’t seeing anyone else. But when he started calling me names and scaring me, I was done.”
“I was proud of you,” Porter told her, his intense gray eyes swirling with emotion. “No one deserves to be told they’re trash.”
“Thank you.” Riley hated that he’d heard that part, and deep down inside, she sometimes felt as if she was worth less than those who’d had an idyllic upbringing.
Who had big important jobs. But she tamped down those feelings—and blurted something she’d had no intention of bringing up. Ever. “And I’m not frigid.”
Porter’s eyebrows flew up.
Riley closed her eyes in mortification, but forged on.
“I know you had to overhear him saying that more than once…and definitely when I kicked him out last night. But it’s not true.
The one time we slept together, it wasn’t good.
For either of us,” she said, forcing herself to open her eyes and meet Porter’s gaze.
“I think I knew he was an asshole even then. He didn’t have a job and always wanted me to pay for everything.
I have no problem splitting the costs of meals and stuff when I’m dating, but he showed absolutely no inclination to pay for anything.
When I stopped wanting to eat out or buy him stuff, that’s when he started showing his true colors—”
“Riley, stop,” Porter said, interrupting her blabbering.
She flushed.
“I wouldn’t believe anything that asshole said, even without you explaining anything about your relationship.
Anyone who yells at someone like that isn’t worth giving the time of day to.
I’m sorry you had to go through that, but as I said, I’m proud that you kicked him out. That couldn’t have been easy.”
“It wasn’t,” Riley agreed. “He was pretty scary. Have I thanked you for standing outside your apartment yet?”
“You don’t have to thank me for that. Bullies usually back down when someone stands up against them. They only like to pick fights with people they think they can overpower.”
“I’m done.”
Riley turned to see Logan standing in the doorway of the kitchen again. The boy could really move silently. She made a mental note to remember that in the future and not get into deep conversations when he might appear and overhear.
“Great. Come over and I’ll show you where everything is in here,” Porter told his nephew.
Riley stood out of the way as Porter pointed out the silverware drawer, where the cups, plates, glasses, and bowls were.
Watching him with his nephew was extremely touching.
He was good with the boy. He didn’t talk down to him, even while making it clear that he expected Logan to help with things around the apartment.
Logan carefully carried three plates to the small table next to the kitchen, then came back for more.
“Does this need to be heated up?” Porter asked.
Riley looked over to see her neighbor holding the casserole dish she’d brought. “No. It should still be good to go.”
“Excellent.” Then Porter took the aluminum foil off the top and leaned over and inhaled deeply.
He turned to Logan, who’d just come back into the kitchen. “Come smell this, Slugger. We’re gonna have the worst breaths ever after we eat this!”
The boy didn’t exactly smile, but his lips definitely quirked upward. He walked toward his uncle, and the man and boy stood side by side as they leaned over her green bean casserole.
“This is henceforth going to be known as onion casserole in this house,” Porter declared, using what Riley could only describe as a “kingly” tone.
She chuckled.
“What do you think, should we put the entire dish on the table, or put it in bowls here in the kitchen and bring those into the other room to eat?” Porter asked Logan.
Logan shrugged, but then said, “I think bowls.”
“Great idea,” Porter agreed immediately. “I don’t like my food touching on my plate. And I know that’s weird, and everyone always tells me that it all mixes together in my stomach, but I don’t like mixing tastes.”
Logan looked up at his uncle in surprise. “That’s what Mom always said too.”
Porter smiled down at Logan, but Riley could see it was sad.
“Yeah, I think I learned it from her. Drove our dad crazy. He used to yell at us when we wouldn’t eat something because it had been ‘contaminated’ by something else on our plate.
I had forgotten Becky and I had that in common. Thanks for reminding me.”
Man and boy stared at each other for a moment, before Logan nodded and looked away.
It was a small step toward what would hopefully be a good relationship between them.
Riley reached up and grabbed a bowl from the cabinet, discretely squeezing Porter’s upper arm in support as she passed.
Dinner was a little awkward, but Riley still couldn’t remember a meal she’d enjoyed as much in a very long time.
Watching the dynamic between Porter and Logan was interesting.
The boy snuck glances at his uncle whenever he thought he wouldn’t be seen, and Porter was going out of his way to try to be entertaining.
Logan didn’t say much, but it was obvious he was listening to everything he said.
Riley was relieved when both had two helpings of her green bean casserole, now known as onion casserole.
As she suspected, the cheese and other ingredients masked the taste of the green beans.
The dish might not be all that healthy with the other stuff added in, but at that moment, it didn’t matter.
She also noticed that Logan subtly shifted the salad on his plate farther to the side so it wouldn’t touch his hamburger…just like Porter had done.
Both man and boy ate way more than Riley could’ve ever finished.
If Logan ate a bit too fast, no one commented, and Porter did his best to keep up a steady stream of conversation about nothing in particular.
Logan didn’t really participate, only answering in shrugs and grunts when he was asked a direct question, but at least he didn’t ignore his uncle altogether.
After dinner, when Logan began to head to the couch to watch TV, Porter stopped him. “Dishes need to be done, Slugger.”
Logan turned to look at him.
“I don’t know how things were in your mom’s house, but I’ve always thought it’s only fair that whoever cooks, doesn’t also have to do dishes. You’re in luck, because I have a pretty kick-butt dishwasher, so you can simply load it up and let the machine do all the work.”
Logan stared at his uncle for a long moment, and Riley held her breath. When the boy finally shuffled into the kitchen, she let out a relieved sigh.
Learning the ins and outs of a new household was hard, she knew that firsthand.
Figuring out what you were expected to do as chores and what might set off the people living in the house could be scary.
She suspected Logan was being extra compliant right now to protect himself.
She figured there would be times when he’d be disobedient and disrespectful, but she was glad tonight wouldn’t be one of those times.
Riley sat at the table as Porter helped Logan load the dishwasher. He gave the boy helpful hints on how to place the dishes inside, then he showed him where the tablets for the dishwasher were and how to operate it.
“Good job.”
“So if I make dinner, you’ll load the dishwasher?” Logan asked.
It was the first full sentence Riley had heard the boy say, and it was beautiful to hear.
To Porter’s credit, he didn’t make a fuss out of Logan finally speaking. “Yup. You like to cook?”
“Not really. But sometimes if you want to eat, you gotta make it yourself.”
And just like that, Riley’s good mood took a dive. She didn’t like that Logan had ever had to fend for himself as far as meals went. Obviously, Porter didn’t either.
Porter crouched in front of Logan so he could look him in the eye as he spoke.
He did that all the time, which she thought was extremely thoughtful.
“Unfortunately, that’s true. But as long as you’re with me, that won’t happen.
Honestly, I don’t much care if you do the dishes or not, I really just want you to learn to be polite and responsible, and helping out around the house is a part of that.
But even if you throw a tantrum and refuse to help me, I’ll still feed you.
I’ll still make sure you’re safe and cared for.
I love you, Logan. I know we just met, but you’re my nephew, and every time I look at you, I see my sister, which is a great thing.
I’ll teach you everything I know about cooking—which admittedly isn’t a lot—but I guarantee that when you’re in charge in the kitchen, I’ll do all the cleanup. Deal?”
Logan nodded.